General Anil Chauhan will take over as the second Chief of Defence Staff on September 30.
The second CDS of the Indian defence forces would be meeting military officials on Thursday and would officially take over as the new CDS on Friday, government officials said.
Chauhan retired as a Lt Gen from eastern command and has been elevated to the rank of General with the new appointment made today, officials said.
This is the first time that a retired officer has been appointed to this position for which a gazette notification was issued to announce the change in rules for the appointment.
In a career spanning four decades, Lt Gen Chauhan has held several command, staff and instrumental appointments and had extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and northeast India.
He will also function as Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Military Affairs with effect from the date of his assumption of charge and until further orders, an official release said.
Lt General Anil Chauhan (retired) will be the second CDS of the country after Gen Bipin Rawat who died in a helicopter crash in December last year in Tamil Nadu.
